Opening of On Purpose Exhibit

Good evening everyone and thank you for being with us on this extraordinary night.

"On Purpose: Portrait of the Liberal Arts" began two years ago as we thought about our upcoming 150th anniversary. We wondered how to best share our story as a college with our students, staff, faculty, and our friends and supporters on and off campus. 

We hoped to produce something that would showcase our collegiate history, diversity, and ambitions. We knew we wanted something both informative and artistic, whimsical and sober, aspirational yet deeply rooted in current realities. Something that would both represent CLA’s past and present, while looking forward to its next 150 years. 

Fast forward two years and here we are seeing this remarkable collection. It provides glimpses into disciplines, topics, and individuals as well as a broad understanding of who we are as a college and our purpose. That purpose, as reflected in the college’s constitution, is “to advance a thoughtful, knowledgeable, and engaged society through its three-fold mission: to create new knowledge and artistic expression and develop the next generation of scholars; to educate graduate and undergraduate students and prepare them for a productive life of intellectual curiosity, cultural appreciation, and continuous learning; and to engage with our community to achieve the land grant promise of a university in service to the community.”

As you view the photos and read their accompanying text, I think you’ll get an understanding of how we are living out our collegiate purpose and mission. Each photo, in its own way, highlights the key questions and values that drive inquiry and creativity in the liberal arts. 

Some of the portraits will resonate instantly, while others will surprise you. The two men performing in front of First Avenue? That’s not our School of Music, that’s our Department of Geography, Environment & Society. And the skiers with no snow to ski on? That’s our School of Statistics. Upon reflection, however, the portraits speak to questions important in these disciplines. How does place influence art? How do the tools of statistics help us understand climate change? 

There are numerous people I’d like to thank for making this exhibition possible. First is Howard Oransky, Director of the Katherine E. Nash gallery, and his team for their assistance and preparation of the Gallery for this event. From conception to final execution Howard’s guidance and support was indispensable. Thank you as well to our project coordinator, Stephanie Splett, who was tasked with coordinating this complex project among alumni and Regents, students and staff, and over 30 departments and units. And thank you to Megan Mehl, our events coordinator, for organizing tonight’s event. 

Next are the people pictured in the photographs and the units and departments they represent. Being in front of the camera can be a very demanding experience. And coordinating efforts, discussions, and ideas behind the scenes is no easy task. We are grateful for your willingness to participate and for your enthusiasm in developing inventive ideas. 

And last but certainly not least is the artist himself, Xavier Tavera . 

Before he was ever a CLA alum, Xavier was already a well-established and well-respected photographer, but I am very proud to count him among CLA’s own.

Born in Mexico, Xavier’s interest in photography started young. He believed then -- as he believes now -- that there was a touch of magic in the process. That excitement has never waned, either in his work behind the camera or now at the front of a CLA Department of Art classroom with his students. 

He moved to Minnesota in 1996 and has focused his work on sharing the lives of marginalized people and communities. His work has been featured extensively in the Twin Cities, nationally, and internationally including Chile, Uruguay, and China. His work is part of the collections of the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Plaines Art Museum, Minnesota Museum of American Art, Minnesota History Center, and the Weisman Art Museum. And he has received a McKnight Fellowship, a Jerome Travel award, and a State Arts-Board Grant, among others. He joined us here at CLA in 2014 and received his MFA in 2016.

Xavier, one of the most encouraging things you told us at the beginning of this project was that you didn’t want this to look like a college catalogue. I think we can safely say that you’ve succeeded. 

You took the grain of an idea and ran with it. You allowed each department and unit their voice while fashioning a fascinating and compelling whole. You have shown tremendous patience, flexibility, and creativity and we are indebted to you for rendering such a powerful explanation of who we are as a college, and as students and scholars of the liberal arts. 

Thank you all once again for coming and I’m now very pleased to welcome Xavier Tavera.